Ben Henderson vs. Mark Bocek
The fight was the UFC debut of Ben Henderson. The Fight The first round began. Henderson came out southpaw. Henderson landed a leg kick and ate a counter right. Henderson stuffed a single to the clinch with four thirty-five. Henderson kneed the body. Henderson had double underhooks. Henderson kneed the body. Four fifteen. Four minutes. Henderson kneed the thigh and the body. Bocek replied. Henderson kneed the thigh. The ref broke them up with three thirty-five. Isn't Bocek Canadian? Bocek blocked a high kick. Three fifteen. Bocek worked a double after landing a right to the clinch and kneed the body. Henderson stuffed it and turned the clinch. Three minutes. Henderson broke with a left elbow. Must be part of the gameplan. Henderson landed a leg kick. Two thirty-five. Henderson landed a good one-two countering an inside kick. Henderson missed a Superman punch and landed a leg kick. Two fifteen. He missed a leg kick. Two minutes. Henderson landed a leg kick there. One thirty-five. Henderson was stuffing the single, landed some uppercuts in under. He kept balancing on one leg, more uppercuts. Bocek threw in a trip and got it. One fifteen. Henderson scooted back towards the cage. One minute left. Henderson regained the butterfly guard. Thirty-five. Fifteen. Henderson landed a pair of right elbows from the bottom and another pair. Henderson closed guard. The first round ended. "He did no damage," they told Ben. "Circle off the fence and be the aggressor." "This round could have gone either way. We need the second and the third," they told Bocek. Close round, probably 10-9 Henderson. The second round began. Bocek blocked a high kick. Four thirty-five. Henderson pressed forward, Bocek worked a single. Henderson elbowed the thigh repeatedly with the left. Four fifteen. Bocek kept working it. Four minutes. Bocek lifted Henderson up with that single to guard. He defended a guillotine. Henderson stood to the clinch. He kneed the leg twice. The thigh. Three thirty-five as they exchanged a knee to the thigh, Henderson landed another to the leg. A hard one to the body. Three fifteen. The ref broke them up. Yves is strange today. Three minutes. Henderson landed a leg kick and stuffed a double sprawling. Bocek stuffed a single to the clinch, Henderson got a trip, defended an omoplata to guard. Two thirty-five as Henderson landed a right. Another. Bocek worked to a leglock. Henderson landed a right hand. Two fifteen. Bocek had it locked. Two minutes as Bocek stood eating a knee to the face to the clinch. He kneed the thigh four times, another. One thirty-five. Another to the thigh. Bocek dragged Henderson down with a headlock. One fifteen. Bocek worked for an anaconda choke. Henderson was defending. One minute. Bocek stood with it to the clinch, working a guillotine. Standing guillotine. Thirty-five. Bocek rolled with the guillotine on top. They stood to the clinch, Henderson landed two knees to the body, one to the face, a left elbow and they broke. Bocek was cut. Fifteen as Henderson blocked a high kick. Henderson stepped in with a brutal knee to the body to the clinch, a right hand to the body inside, a left elbow as the second round ended. Big cut on the right side of Bocek's forehead. "7654321," they said slowly and calmly to Bocek. 10-9 Henderson. Henderson waved his arms pumping up the crowd. The third round began. Henderson landed a leg kick, Bocek got a double off it to the butterflies. Four thirty. Henderson worked for a guillotine. He closed guard but Bocek popped out. Four fifteen. Bocek landed a right hand. Four minutes left. 'Let's go Bocek,' the crowd chanted. Bocek landed a right elbow. Three thirty-five. Bocek defended an armbar, Henderson wound up on top with three big rights and another. A left and a right elbow there. Another right hand and another to the body. Three fifteen with another body shot with the right. A left hammerfist. Bocek worked a leglock, swept with it and had the back. Three minutes. Wow weird position. Bocek had one hook as they stood. Both hooks now. Lost the hooks, had the standing back. They turned to the clinch. Two thirty-five. Henderson defended a trip and kneed the body. Henderson got a trip and had the back as they stood. They turned to the clinch. Henderson worked a single. Two fifteen. Two minutes. Henderson worked a double now. He got it. One thirty-five. Henderson sprawled out stuffing a single. One fifteen. Bocek stood dodging a knee and ate another to the body and another and another and a right elbow as they broke. One minute. Henderson stepped into another knee. Bocek worked a double and got it. Thirty-five as he passed to half-guard. Fifteen as Henderson turtled up. Bocek had a headlock. Henderson stood to the clinch, kneed the body, and broke with a right uppercut. Bocek landed a body kick. The third round ended. 10-9 Henderson. 30-27 Henderson. Decent fight. 'Praise God!' Henderson said. 30-27 unanimously for Henderson. They hugged.